Apparatus for packaging plastic materials



Feb. 16, 1954 Filed Aug. 24, 1951 J. BENZ APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING PLASTIC MATERIALS 3 Sheeis-Sheet l Inventor Feb. 16, 1954 J. BENZ APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING PLASTIC MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1951 F/GZ.

Inventor Feb. 16, 1954 BENZ 2,669,077

APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING PLASTIC MATERIALS Filed Aug. 24, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet s Patented Feb. 16 1 954 UNIT-En:

' APPARATUSFOR:PACKAGING 'PLASTIG 1 MATERIALS JoharlnesiBehz} DusseldoifjjGellflany Application August-'24, 1951, Serial No. 243,475

Claims priorlty,..application Germany AfigllS t'ZS, 1950 The present invention is concerned with automatic apparatus for packaging plastic materials, such as butter, fat, jam, soft soap, and other dough-like or semi-solid substances.

The operation of. known machines for this purpose has involved the steps of charging a predetermined quantity of the plastic mass; to

be packaged directly into a pre-folded wrapper belt or the like, and the empty mould returned to the starting position, and th cycle repeated.

In such machines the proper sequence of op-' erations was obtained by operating the'various stages of the machines from a common drive by means of a system of cam-controlled levers or the like.

.It is knowminsuch packaging machines, to arrange. the mould on a rotary table so that,

during one complete rotation of this table, the

mould passes through all the said various stations. This enables as many mouldsto be provided on the table as there arest'ations, so that a completely wrapped. package is discharged fromthe machine for every step in the rotation of the table.

These known packaging machines are very complicatedin construction and therefore cost-' 1y; however, they have a large output and are.

therefore of advantage for large-scale packaging activities. In the case of small-scale production on the other hand, machinesof this calibre are not-.aneconomic proposition since they cannot usually be operated continuouslyatfull ca-' pacity. For this reason, it is preferable under these circumstances to employ simpler and less expensive machines whichwork'with one mould only, their mould reciprocating betweenthe said charging and the delivery stations.

A primary object of the presentinvention'is to simplify packaging machines, particularly ma chines of the kind referred to above, whether reducing the number of stations 'to or through structed in accordance with =ther invention; and

which the mouldor moulds has or have to pass."

To this end; and according to the present" in? vention," there is provided a machine? 0011113115- tion at which it"re'ceives a 'pr'e folded "wrapper openat one side anda charging station-atwhich said pre-folded wrapper is charged with "a por-v tion of said plastic'rm'ateri'al',and means -at'fth'e'" said. firstistationfor placing a-.pre'f01'dedWrapper into the said mould "whilst simultaneously L discharging from the. mould apackageyicarried thereby from" said charging station; I

Conveniently," the said (mould is adapted. to alternate between said firs't andfchargingista-1 *tions and the machine includes means for rorm-.

ing a pre-foldedv wrapper. from a sheet of wrap, per material; Thusaccordifigto 'afurther aspect,lthisinvention provide a machine comrisinga mould adapted to' alternate between afirst station and 'a second or charging ..-st'ation;- means at said first station'for formin'g, from a,

sheet of wrapper material, a pro-folded wrapper open at one side and forinserting :such wrapper into the said mould, said. pre folded wrapper receiving a portion of said plastic material at said 3 charging stationwhen carriedthereto b said mould;--and saidmeans for inserting apre-folded wrapper. into themouldat -said first station also serving toefiect; the simultaneous discharge.from the mould of a package-carried.- therebygfrom saidcharging station.

Preferably; and-in: accordancewith a further feature 0fthis inventio n,- the said mould com-- prise'sa frame open-at two-opposite: ends; and i said means for insertinglaz pre-folded wrapper into such'mould andifor effecting discharge of a pack'age therefrom include a plunger or die' -re ciprocable-into and outof said frame A construction in accordance with thepresent invention eliminates the necessity for a separate device hitherto essential"forknockingmut "the" packages from the" mould, and consequently ob viate's one ofthe' stations previously required, re-

sulting .in a substantial. simplification of the. ma-

chine and economy in cost.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated, by :way 0t example, the accompanying draw-- ings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a packagingramachine; con.--

havinga mould= reciproc'a'ble between the afore= said "first and charging station's;

Figure '2 s ows themachineshowiiyin Figure" "1 -=as -*seen from -the sidep certain '--parts' being=* omitted in order not to complicate the representation.

Figure 3 shows the arrangement for pre-folding the wrapper, with a package, already folded, in the mould.

Figure 4 illustratestthe arrangement .shown. in Figure 3, but atthe instant when the completed package has been pushed out of the mould and a freshly prepared wrapper has been inserted. in the mould.

Figure 5 shows diagrammaticwliyjiarpoution oif the machine of Figure 1, at the instant when the: prepared wrapper is charged with the plastic material, the mould having been piifoteWtdtlie" charging station.

The packaging machine shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a frame formed by -warms stands 35 and 35 which are spaced from each" other by a number of cross members 31, 1385.; 40 and 4|. The main driving shaft is mounted 20 in bearings I3, 14, shown in dottednlines in- Fig: ure 2, and is driven in anylsuitable manner by a driving motor; The" drivingishaft 21]"[carriesa bevel wneel'15 which drives;'.through a second bevel wheel lfi a shaft 42"jjournal1ed'in the'frame 25 standsf, 35'.

The shaft 42 is furnished'with acamdisc'44 which co=operates"witha roller '45 mounted on.

a bolt 48. .Bolt 48 'iscarriedby'a,pivoted lever 44; is rocked up and" down and thus moves the comiectingrod il upwards 'andtdownwards: The' movement of the connecting rod'41' is transmitted to a double lever iliibfy the 'bo1t4'9'," which is pivoted to the two hubs'il andSZ' of thedouble 35:7.

1ever"50. v

The saidlev'er 50 15 :pivotallymounte'd on the cross member 40"and is1furnishedat its free'end remote from'the connecting rod- 4-1 'with'a boss" 53" carrying a bolt 54; which, by mea'ns :of-"th'e' fulcrum block- 55", transmits'themovement of the lever to*the'plungerrod133; therod 33 thus being recipro'cated and carrying at itslower' end a plunger 4. Il'r'e-ro'd'33iis guided'soasto'be axially displaceabl in the cross members 39*and 4| 4 a further roller and cam or by spring or other suitable resilient means.

When the mould 5 is at the first said station, as will be seen from Figures 3 and 4, the plunger 4 descends through the aperture in the template I and carries with it thesheet of paper 3 which byxmeans' ofthe fo1der-box 2-; i's pre-folded and on continued descent of the plunger 4 is inserted into the mould 5. During the latter part ofthe descent of the plunger 4, a previouslywrappedipapkageparried by the mould 5 is driven downwardly out of the mould on to a table Hi.

The plunger 4 is then withdrawn upwardly to its startingposition and the mould 5 is moved to thesaid chargingstation.

The charging head 9 is pivotally carried by a b'racket ori the-frame stand 35. By means of thea'rm 3i and the connecting rod 30 which is reciprocated in timed relationship with the mould ii'is swung across the orifice'of the nozzle-1B" to separate the" quantity of material to be packaged from thatiin thesaidnozzle. The stripper H operated through "the'lever "system 2 3'; 2'4, 2'5 and Zt"'by..means-- of 'a roller 22 carried'bytheen'ct of the lever co oper'atin'g witha cam 2| on the driving .sha'ftfit. Th'e'cranked leveril'ii; as

clearly seen in Figure 1 is pivoted at 2"! to a lug Qt'lon the .head' and consequently moves-there with;

After a charging operation, th'eheadil'istsw'ung back to the position shown'in"Fi gur'e'1. v

The .ope-n si'deof the chargedwrapper hasnow to be .closed'," and thisyis "effectedby folding the upstandingefi'apis of the wrapper upon' the top of the plastic'rna'trial therein.

Thus two side flap-folding devices i2are"ar-' ranged to sweep inw'ardly across 'the' topofthe said imaterial land 'to "folddown "the adjacent side During.- :the': downward movement of 1.55

A mould .5, in the {form of a frame open at its .60

in" which" it is"located"=below the nozzle "Ill ot 'a charging head 9 (see Figure 5 The oscillation of thenrouldffi betweenthe said first and ch'argin-g stations is-effected' by rocking the said arm 6 about a shaft IB- tQ WhiQh its lower:end iis-wpivotallyzsecureds. The armu ss is furnishedmwitlr amrollera- PI 8" 'which co operates with-a cam-kl 9 on the drivmgzzshaft' 2 0 rand eflectS- displacement of the' armili tocthe'leftias seen Figured; movement .ofathearmtotheeright .may

betefl'ectediby anywsuitable meansgder example 175.

flaps ofthe wrapper? Thesaiddevi'ces ['2 each consist of la plate'carriewby a '1ever"64' secured" to ashait t5; the cranked" end; portions SI of the leverg'li'ebeing' I coupled together so -that the levers more in unison when' the shatts" 65 are rotated.

Each of the shafts e5 isjournalled at GBandt-I inbearings carriedfby b'racket sflfi and-i9 respecmay "on the' frame'stand 351' A lever 68" is sefrom'nthedevewt-i', the" said levers '68" being-"fur nish'ettat their free-ends with a-bos's't carry ing a roller s'pindleflil supporting a roller -'II- which' vac-operateswith a cam I 2 carried' by-the aforesaid' shaft 42.

After the'devices l2 havefold'ed down the'sid'e flaps of'the wrapper jandhave returnedtotheir' initial position, the rear flap is folded downby a forward movementv of-the folder [3;

Thefolder i3 isecarried by a pivotednlever 82' having/a cranked portion v83 Zcarrying .a-llfoller 84 at @its vtree end, the -roller .84 oo-operating with a camfifilonthe drivin'gshaft 20L Theremaining .flapqoflthe wrapper is folded downby means of a roller l4 which sweeps the upper surface of the packag when the mould 5 is returning to the said first station. Thus the roller I4 is carried by a lever 63 pivoted at 62 to a bracket on the frame stand 35, the arm 50 of the lever 63 being pivctally connected to a link 59 which is reciprocated vertically by means of a roller 5'1 on a pin 58 carried by link 59 cooperating with a cam 56 on the shaft 42. The roller 14 is raised clear of the flaps of a p folded wrapper when the latter is carried from the first station to the charging station, and is lowered when the mould is about to return with a charged package from the charging station to the said first station.

The aforesaid shaft [8 also has pivoted thereto a lever 11 furnished with a roller ii' co-operating with a cam 29, and the lever I1 is thus oscillated about the shaft 18 in timed relationship with the other operations of th machine. The lever l1 carries at its upper end a lateral extension which is adapted to sweep over the said table i6 when the lever I1 is rocked to the left as seen in Figures 1, 3, 4 and 5, and to sweep packages expelled from the mould 5 across the table 16.

It will of course be understood that the various operations of the machine can be effected in any suitable manner, the particular cam and lever arrangements illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 merely being given as an exampleof the way in which the parts can be driven.

I claim:

1. A machine for packaging plastic material and having at least two operating stations, such machine comprising a mould open at its upper and lower ends for receiving, at a first station, a pre-folded wrapper; first means for oscillating said mould between said first station and a charging station disposed sidewardly from the said first station where the said wrapper receives a portion of the material to be packaged and for returning said mould to the said first station; second means at said first station for inserting a wrapper in said mould when at the said first station, and for simultaneously acting on a filled package carried by the mould from the charging station, and discharging the filled package from the mould.

2. A machine for packaging plastic material and having at least two operating stations such machine comprising a mould, open at its upper and lower ends, for receiving, at a first station, a Dre-folded wrapper; means for oscillating said mould between said first station and a charging station disposed sidewardly from the said first station where the said wrapper receives a portion of the material to be packaged and for returning said mould to the said first station; a die located at said first station and means for reciprocating said die into and out of said mould when at the said first station to insert a wrapper therein, and for simultaneously acting on a filled package carried by the mould from the charging station, and discharging the filled package from the mould.

3. A machine for packaging plastic material and having at least two operating stations, such machine comprising a mould, open at its upper and lower ends, for receiving, at a first station, a pre-folded wrapper; an arm carrying said mould, said arm being oscillatable to move the mould alternately between said first station and a charging station where the said wrapper receives a portion of the material to be packaged; a die located at said first station and means for reciprocating said die into and out of said mould when at the said first station to insert a Wrapper therein, said die being adapted simultaneously to act on a filled package carried by the mould from the charging station, thereby "to discharge the filled package from the mould.

'1. A machine for packaging plastic material and having at least two operating stations, such machine comprising a mould open at its upper and lower ends for receiving, at a first station, a

pre-folded wrapper; means for oscillating said mould between said first station and a charging station disposed sidewardly from the said first station where the said wrapper receives a portion of the material to be packaged and for returning said mould to the said first station; a die located at said first station and means for moving said die in co-operating relation with said mould when at the said first station to insert a wrapper therein, and for simultaneously acting on a filled package carried by the mould from the charging station, thereby discharging the filled package from the mould; and means co-operating with said die to pre-iold said wrapper from a sheet of wrapper material prior to its insertion by the die into the mould.

5. A machine according to claim 4, in which the Wrapper pre-folding means comprises an apertured plate for receiving a sheet of wrapper material and a tubular guide located behind said aperture and having a sliding fit with the die.

6. A machine for packaging plastic material and havin at least two operating stations, such machine comprising a mould, open at its upper and lower ends, for receiving, at a first station, a pre-folded wrapper; an arm carrying said mould, said arm being oscillatable to move the mould alternately between said first station and a charging station where said wrapper receives a portion of material to be packaged; a die located at said first station and means for reciprocating said die into and out of said mould when at the said first station to insert a wrapper therein, said die being adapted simultaneously to act on a filled package carried by the mould from the charging station, thereby to discharge the filled package from the mould; and means for operating said arm and said die in timed relation.

7. A machine according to claim 6, further including charging means for deliverin a portion of plastic material into the wrapper in the mould at the charging station; and means for operating said charging means in timed relation with said arm and said die.

8. A machine according to claim 7, further including reciprocable means assisting in completion of the closure of a package in its travel between the charging and said first stations, and means for reciprocating these closure means in timed relation with the charging means, arm, and die.

J OHANNES BENZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 616,452 Campbell Dec. 27, 1898 1,151,233 Anderson Aug. 24, 1915 1,295,951 Armstrong Mar. 4, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 615,100 Great Britain Dec. 31, 1948 

